Published 4:00 am, Thursday, July 28, 2005

The crevasses in the glaciers of Mount Shasta are the Venus flytraps of mountaineering.

Once you go in, getting out can be problematic.

At 13,000 feet on the north side of Shasta, two climbers, Ann Kopari and Peter Goltcher, after topping the 14,162-foot peak, were celebrating by glissading -- sliding down a steep snowfield on their butts and using their ice axes as brakes -- euphoric over the adventure.

Then at 12,000 feet, they encountered a little problem: They sailed into the opening of a 60-foot-deep crevasse, one right after the other. Goltcher rammed into the lip of the opening, breaking three ribs, but was able to climb out. Kopari rocketed across the opening and landed on a ledge on the other side of the crevasse, 10 feet down, but could not move.

Up on the summit, a radio crackled: "We've got an injured climber on the Hotlum-Bolam Ridge. A female fell into a crevasse. Major back injury."

Matt Hill, lead climber ranger for the U.S. Forest Service at Mount Shasta, was standing on the south pinnacle, a lava plug dome, when he took the call. He immediately took off for the scene, two miles away, with a 2,200-foot descent.

"I was down there in a half hour," Hill said. "I was trying to figure out how we were going to get her out of there, the puzzle we had to figure out."

Hill, 37, is one of four rangers on Mount Shasta whose chief job is to keep climbers safe -- then rescue them when they get in trouble. "We typically have one rescue a week," Hill said.

Mount Shasta has become one of the most popular summit climbs in the Western United States. This year, with bad weather in the spring, many trips were postponed until July and August. On weekends this month, 100 to 200 people are on the mountain at one time, many with the single-minded hope of claiming the summit.

It's one of the greatest adventures in North America that anybody in excellent condition has a decent chance to complete. The route that most choose, the John Muir Route through Avalanche Gulch, starts at 7,000 feet at Bunny Flat, then rises another 7,000 feet over the course of 7 miles through snow, ice and rocks.

About 50 percent who start the trip make it to the top. Those who don't are typically stopped by weather, improper equipment, snow conditions or simply not being in good shape for the trek. Then there are accidents. That is where Hill comes in.

He is a true modern-day hero. Hill has the blend of an athlete in peak condition, a detective who can discern clues and solve a mystery and the heart of a family man (with wife, child and two dogs) who empathizes with victims and their nightmares. Hill has reached Shasta's summit about 150 times, and he is on the mountain virtually every week, so he understands the mountain and the passions of those who climb it.

"I've had a few close calls myself," Hill said. "Mainly rock falls, skiing, falling and sliding out of control, and in the winter and spring, dealing with avalanche danger."

Because about 6,000 people summit Mount Shasta most years, some overlook the potential dangers -- or do not prepare for the trip.

That was what led Kopari to glissade into the crevasse. When Hill got there, he found 20 other climbers on site. Some had climbed down to her and wrapped her in a sleeping bag. "She was sobbing," Hill said. "She was not able to move, and she was in excruciating pain."

Another climbing ranger, Mark Gawry, arrived with a spinal splint, ropes, snow anchors, a sled and other gear.

Hill took charge. Over four hours, the crew stabilized the injured woman, strapped her to a spinal splint and sled, and with ropes, snow anchors and pulleys, hoisted her out of the crevasse. Many joined to provide aid.

With Kopari in the sled, the rescue team lowered her 2,500 feet down the slope, using a belay system that climbers use for descents. They reached a sandy mesa at 9,500 feet on the north side of Shasta, and a rescue helicopter run by Mercy Air picked her up. Ten minutes later, she was in the hospital.

It turned out, she had broken her pelvis, and her body was bruised and cut. But she was OK, and in time, had a full recovery. Goltcher, meanwhile, made it out on his power.

Hill and his staff have been involved in many other accidents:

-- A climber glissading a 35-degree slope mistakenly left his crampons on his boots. They caught the ice, sent him tumbling, and he plummeted out of control for 2,000 feet before the 25-inch shaft of his ice ax pierced the inside of his knee and jabbed all the way through his thigh and came out the other side. A five-hour rescue ended with the climber airlifted out by helicopter. He had a full recovery.

-- A skier with his dog triggered an avalanche, which buried his dog. Hill and former ranger Dan Towner arrived at the site with their own dogs and were able to find the dog -- buried under four feet of snow -- after searching for 21/2 hours. By evening, the rescued dog was chasing a ball.

-- In June, a climber was knocked off his feet by the wind and fell 1, 500 feet. Hill arrived with Nick Meyers, also a climbing ranger, within an hour and sledded the victim out to an ambulance. He was treated for a broken ankle and major abrasions.

-- Hill, Towner and five others were in a Blackhawk helicopter on a mission to evaluate avalanche hazards and search for a missing climber (his partner was killed in a 2,000-foot fall). The helicopter blade slammed into the mountain, turning the fuselage into a Mixmaster, and then rolled 200 feet down the slope. Hill had whiplash, but with Towner, ended up rescuing the rescue team.

"We down-climbed as a team," Hill said. "Another helicopter picked up the Blackhawk crew. Not us. We'd had enough."

The helicopter crew dropped their Telemark skis down and Hill and Towner made their way down to Bunny Flat.

Their wives were waiting for them with open arms -- and plenty of tears.

"We're happy to be alive," Hill said.

That exactly how people feel after being rescued by Matt Hill.

Ten mountaineering commandments

1. Educate yourself: If you are new to mountaineering, hire a guide or take a one-day course available on Mount Shasta.

2. Get weather and climbing reports; do not climb in deteriorating weather. Always start early, 2 to 3 a.m., so you plan to summit by 9 to 11 a.m. Most hazardous mountain weather, thunderstorms and whiteouts, in summer occurs after 1 p.m.

Equipment rentals: Fifth Season, (530) 926-5555; House of Ski & Board, (530) 926-2359. In the Bay Area and Sacramento, REI has equipment rentals.

How to get to Bunny Flat Trailhead: From I-5,take the exit for Central Mount Shasta to the stop sign at Lake Street. Turn right and drive one mile to where the road bears left and merges with Washington (which becomes Everett Memorial Highway). Continue 10 miles to Bunny Flat Trailhead on the left.

How to get to Mount Shasta Ranger Station: From I-5, take the exit for Central Mount Shasta to the stop sign at Lake Street. Turn right and drive a quarter mile to Pine Street (the first road after the stop light). Turn left and drive one block to Alma. Turn right and park; walk to 204 Alma Street on the left.